Chapter 2 Flashcards
naturally occurring solids •formed by inorganic
processes
•building blocks of rocks •Examples: quartz, sulfides,
halides
Minerals
•relatively hard, naturally occurring mineral material
•made up of two of more
minerals, mixed up through
geological processes
• Examples: igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic rocks
Rocks
Physical Properties of Rock-Forming Minerals
Color
Hardness
Luster
Cleavage
it is a measure of the resistance of a mineral (not specifically surface) to abrasion
Hardness
measures the scratch resistance of various minerals based on the ability of a harder material/mineral to scratch a softer one
The Mohs Scale of Hardness
describes how the mineral reflects light
Luster
2 types of luster
Metallic luster
Non-metallic luster
looks like a shiny metal such as chrome, steel, silver, or gold.
Metallic luster
may be shiny and reflect light, however, they do not look like a metal.
Non-metallic luster
the property of some minerals to break along specific planes of weakness to form smooth, flat surfaces.
Cleavage
is the property of a mineral breaking in a more or less random pattern with no smooth planar surfaces.
Fracture
Cleavage in one direction
Muscovite
Cleavage in two directions
Feldspar
Cleavage in three directions
Halite
Cleavage in four directions
Calcite
Mineral Groups
Silicates
Oxides
Carbonates
Halides
minerals containing the two most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, namely, silicon and oxygen
Silicates
minerals composed of oxygen anion (O2-) combined with one or more metal ions
Oxides
minerals containing the carbonate (CO3)2- anion combined with other elements
Carbonates
minerals containing halogen elements combined with one or more metal
Halides
There are almost —— known mineral species, yet the vast majority of rocks are formed from combinations of a few common minerals, referred to as “——————”.
5000
Rock-forming minerals
are naturally occurring and coherent aggregate of one or more minerals
basic unit of which the solid Earth
Rocks
3 major types of rocks
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
those that solidify from magma
Igneous rock
magma cools quickly above ground (extrusive)
Volcanic igneous rock
magma cools and solidifies slowly underground (intrusive)
Plutonic igneous rock
those that are deposited and lithified (compacted and cemented together) at the Earth’s surface
Sedimentary
compacted broken rocks (sandstone)
Clastic
compacted dissolved minerals (limestone)
Chemical
compacted biogenic
matter (coal)
Organic
is a process that squeezes, or compacts sediments.
Compaction
“glue” – takes place when dissolved minerals are deposited in the tiny spaces among sediments.
Cementation
formed by changes in preexisting rocks under the influence of high temperature, pressure, and chemically active solutions
Metamorphic rocks
2 types of metamorphic rocks
Foliated
Non-foliated
have a layered or banded appearance
Foliated
do not have a layered or banded appearance
Non-foliated
is a web of processes that outlines how each of the three major rock types—igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary—form and break down based on the different applications of heat and pressure over time.
Rock cycle
